Contact device for electric railways



(No Model.)

'0. A. PHILIPSBORN. CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELEOTRIO RAILWAYS. 7

Patented Nov. 12 1895.

INVENTOR Mm w w ATTORNEY ANDREW RGRMMM.PKOTU'UTIIQWASHINGTDNJL.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

CONSTANTIN ALEXANDER PHILIP BOEN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR,

BY MEs E ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SIEMENS & HALSKE ELEcTEIo ooM- PANY orAMEEIo 0 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CCNTACT DEVICEFOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,655, dated November12, 1895.

Application filed April 20, 1893- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CoNs'rANTIN ALEXAN- DER PHILIPSBORN, a Subject ofthe King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at the city of Berlin,Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Contact Devices for Electric Railways, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a contact device or so-called trolley moreespecially adapted for vehicles of electric railways operated by biphaseor polyphase currents.

The invention consists generally in a trolley contact device having acontact-carrier (preferably a transverse bar) held to a railway car orvehicle by a Support coupled to the carrier and to the car in a mannerper-.

mitting bodily movement of the support and contact-carrier bothlongitudinally and transversely of the vehicle and line conductor.

The invention also includes special constructions and combinations, witha support, of two laterally-extended contact-surfaces, preferably havingstar-wheels at their inner ends to retain the line conductors and permitpassage of the contact device at crossingsv thereof.

A further improvement includes the adaptation of an intermediaterevolving contact surface, preferably yielding and having some lateralmovement and disposed between the laterally-extended contact-surfacesfor operation with a third line conductor.

Various details of construction contribute to the maximum efficiency ofthe entire contact device.

The invention will first be described, and

y then will be particularly defined in claims Serial No. 471,173. (Nomodel.)

portion of the contact-carrier support and bearings, and Fig. 4 is adetail front elevation illustrating the intermediate revoluble contactacting with a third line conductor.

I describe one preferred adaptation of the invention as follows:

To the roof 1 of a car or vehicle (indicated by light section-lines inFigs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings) are fastened suitable bearings 2 2,in which is journaled a transversely ranging rocking shaft or pivotedstandard 3, to which is held one suitable form of support whichcomprises two parallel bars 4 4, which are pivoted at 5 5 at their lowerends to and between upwardly-projecting pairs of arms forming parts oftwo stay or brace devices 6 6,

which are fixed to the transverse shaft 3.

These bars 4 4 support a contact-surface carrier, which, as hereinshown, comprises a transverse bar 7, which has fixed couplings 8 8, towhich the upper ends of the bars 4 4 are connected by pivots 9 9.

The four pivots 5 5 9 9 range longitudinally or lengthwise of the car orvehicle and as the stays 6 6 are fixed to the transverse rock-shaft 3the support and contact-surface are free to move both transversely andlongitudinally with relation to the car and the line conductor orconductors. The transverse bar has an intermediate insulated portion 7which provides for use on said bar of two or more separate and insulatedcontact-surfaces, as presently explained. l

The term longitudinal pivotal connection employed throughout thespecification and the claims is used to designate a pivotal connectionin which the axis of the pivot extends longitudinally of the car or lineof travel, while transversely-ran gin g bearing or pivot is employed todesignate a bearing or pivot the axis of which extends in a transversedirection.

I provide means for holding the support yieldingly in position to retainthe carrier contact surfaces in operative relation to one or more lineconductors, while allowing every necessary lateral or longitudinalmovement of the contact device. A preferred means or mechanism for thispurpose is shown in the drawings. To permit the lateral movement Iemploytwo tie-rods 1O 10, which are adapted to enter the outwardlyprojecting upper forked extremities (i of the stays 6, and are adaptedalso to enter the outer forked portions of bearings 11, fixed to thesupport-bars 4 i. The outer ends of the tie-rods 10 10 are connected bytwo springs 12 l2,'which normally contract, and thus keep the rodswithin the forked extremities 6 of the stays and within the forks of thebearings 11 and have a tendency to hold the bars 4 4 in thelaterally-upright position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. To the rock-shaft is fixed a collar 13, having opposite radialarms 1a 14, to the extremities of which is fixed one end ofnormally-contracting springs 15, the other ends of which are fastened toposts or uprights 1G 16, fixed to the car-roof. The draft of the springs15 tends to hold the supports & ii: and contact-surface carrier 7 inupright position longitudinally of the car, as shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings.

Should side swaying of the vehicle swing the support and carrier 4 4 7over toward the right hand, as in partial dotted lines, Fig. 1 of thedrawings, the bearing 11 on the righthand bar at carries the right-handtie-rod 10 out of the forks (3 of the corresponding stay 6, while thebearing 11 on the left-hand bar at is simply drawn over to the righthand and away from the left-hand tie-rod 10, as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. Should the support t at 7 be swung over toward the left hand,the lefthand tie-rod 10 is carried by the left-hand bar-bearing 11 outof the forks 6* of the lefthand stay 6, while the right-hand tie-rod 10remains in the forks of the right-hand stay 6. After lateral movement ineither direction the springs 12 restore the support to normal uprightposition. (Shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.) Should thesupport and contact-carrier swing too far either forward or backward onthe transverse shaft 3, as a center of motion, the opposing sprin 15 15will return the parts to the normal upright or any necessary slantingposition maintaining contact with the line conductors.

The lateral or transverse movement of the support relatively to thetrolleyconductor and the vehicle facilitates the travel of the contactsin rounding curves. Should the trolley-conductor come in contact withone of the star-wheels, the support will yield laterally to permit thecontact device to adjust itself to the trolley-conductor. Furthermore,when. the car is swinging from side to side a considerable lateralmovement of the contact device upon the trolley-comluctor would resultifthe support were maintained rigid laterally; but by mounting the supportso that it may partake of a lateral movement the swinging of the car ispermitted, while the contact device may make contact with thetrolley-conductor without considerable lateral play due to the swingingof the car.

The drawings show one preferred form of contact-surface 17 mounted onthe carrierbar 7. One distinctive feature of these contact-surfacesconsists in their laterally-ex tended form, whereby they will maintainfrictional contact with two indepen dent line conductors 18 18, whetherthey are parallel or not, and also around curves of the road. Each ofthese contact-surfaces 17 17 is electrically connected to a wire 19,which preferably runs down inside the support-bar 4 and will beconnected in any approved manner with the motor on the vehicle to conveycurrent thereto. The insulation 7 assures conveyance of a distinct orseparate current from each. line conductor 18 to its respective wire 19and proper connection to the motor or motors on the vehicle.

Another distinctive feature of the lateral] yextended contact-surfaces17 17 consists in mounting them on the carrier in a manner enabling themto yield bodily to better accommodate themselves to the line conductors.I accomplish this by sustainingthe contact-surfaces by end arms, whichare pivoted or hung loosely on the transverse bar 7. One of these arms20 may be an inbent outer end of the contact-surface itself, and theother arm 2]. is preferably made separately and has an upper partreceiving the inner end of the contact-surface, and also has a pendentportion, to which is connected one end of a contract-- ing spring 22,the other end of which is coupled to the support 4. The springs thusnormally hold the contact-surfaces 17 in extended or fully-proj ectedposition and also allow them to yield to accommodate verticalirregularities of either or both line conductors.

Another distinctive feature of this part of my invention consists inproviding the laterally-extended contact-surfaces, such as 1.7, eachwith a star-wheel 23 at its inner end. These star-wheels will rotate andnormally prevent inward slipping of the line conductors from thecontact-surfaces, while also allowing the conductors to pass safely intothe spaces between the star-wheel teeth, and thus allow the contactdevice to freely pass along at crossings of the conductors. Thesestarwheel retainers 23 are equally useful with either yieldi n g orrigid late]ally-extended con tact-surfaces.

As a further improvement I provide a revolving trolley-wheel contact 2ibetween the two laterally-extended contact-surfaces 17 17 and adapted toa third line conductor s5. (Shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.) Thisintermediate revolving contact 24L may be mounted in a rigid armprojected from the insulated part 7 of the transverse bar 7 or othersuitable carrier; but I prefer to mount said contact 24: on a transverseshaft 2i, on which it may have lateral movement between the arms of aforked bearing 26, which is loosely placed on the carrier at 7 and isnor mally held in upright position while being allowed to yield to theconductor 25 by means of springs 27 on the carrier engaging the hearing.The third wire 28 from this intermediate contact-surface extends to anddownward within one of the carrier-supporting rods 4 to make suitableconnection with the vehiclemotor. It thus will appear that with theintermediate revoluble contact 24 preferably also having lateralmovement and adapted to yield bodily, in connection with the two sidelaterally-extended and preferably-yielding contact-surfaces 17 17, thistrolley contact device is adapted for taking current from either two orthree independent line conductors irrespective of lateral or verticalirregularities thereof along all portions of an electric railway andwill at the same time allow hanging of conductors from fewersupports atcurves of the road, whereas with three rigidly mounted roller trolleys,as heretofore employed, such certainty of operation could not beobtained, as no relative movement of the several contact-making devicesis permitted.

The details of construction may vary from the drawings and descriptionwithin the scope of the appended claims, which particularly indicate thelatitude of the invention.

I claim as my invention '1. The combination with a standard pivoted tomove in a longitudinal plane, of a support carried upon said standardand mounted to move in a lateral plane, and a contact-carrier providedupon the upper end of said support and capable of movement in a lateralplane; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a standard pivote to move in a longitudinalplane, of a support carried upon said standard and mounted to move in alateral plane, a contact-carrier provided upon the upper end of saidsupport and capable of movement in a lateral plane; and means yieldinglyholding said support in position to retain the contact-carrier inoperative relation to one or more line conductors; substantially asdescribed. a

3. The combination with a standard pivoted to move in a longitudinalplane, of a support carried upon said standard and mounted to move in alateral plane, a contact-carrier pro-' vided upon the upper end of saidsupport and capable of movement in a lateral plane, and stays held tosaid pivoted standard and moving longitudinally with the support, andsprings normally drawing the support to said stays while permitting thelateral movement of the support and contact device; substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a standard pivoted to move in a longitudinalplane, of a support mounted upon said standard 'to move laterally, atransverse bar mounted upon the upper end of said support and capable ofa longitudinal movement relatively to said support, and acontact-carrier mounted upon said transverse bar and capable of movementlongitudinally relatively to the trolley conductor.

5. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising twoindependent laterally extended contact surfaces adapted to respectiveline conductors, and .means connecting said contact surfaces to thevehicle and permitting their bodily movement both longitudinally andtransversely of the conductors.

6. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising twoindependent laterally extended and yielding contact surfaces adapted torespective line conductors, and means connecting said contact surfacesto the vehicle and permitting bodily movement of said surfaces bothlongitudinally and transversely of the conductors.

7. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar, two or more insulated contact surfaces held thereto andadapted to respective line conductors, a support pivotally connectingthe transverse bar to the vehicle and movable with said bar and itscontact surfaces both longitudinally and transversely of the conductors,and means yieldingly holding said support in position to retain thecontact surfaces in operative relation to the conductors. v

8. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar, two laterally extended contact surfaces held thereto andadapted to respective line conductors, and a support pivotallyconnecting the transverse bar to the vehicle and movable with the barboth longitudinally and transversely of the conductors.

9. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar, two laterally extended and yielding contact surfacesheld thereto and adapted to respective line conductors, and a supportpivotally connecting the transverse bar to the vehicle and movablewiththe bar both longitudinally and transversely of the conductors.

10. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, having twoindependent laterally eX- tended contact surfaces adapted to respectiveline conductors, and a star wheel at the inner end of each contactsurface.

11. Acontact device for electric railway vehicles, having twoindependent laterally extended and yielding contact surfaces adapted torespective line conductors, and a star wheel at the inner end of eachcontact surface.

12. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising twoindependent laterally extended contact surfaces adapted to respectiveline conductors, a star wheel at the inner end of each contact surface,and means connecting said contact surfaces to the vehicle and permittingbodily movement of said surfaces both longitudinally and transversely ofthe conductors.

13. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar, two laterally extended contact surfaces held thereto andadapted to respective line conductors, a star Wheel at the inner end ofeach contact surface, a support to one end of which the transverse baris coupled by a longitudinal pivotal connection, a transversely rangingrocking bearing on the vehicle and to which bearing the other end ofsaid support is coupled by a longitudinal pivotal connection, and meansyieldingly holding said support and transverse bar in position to retainthe contact surfaces in operative relation to respective lineconductors.

ll. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, having twoindependent laterally extended contact surfaces, and a thirdintermediate insulated contact surface, each surface adapted to a lineconductor.

15. A contact device for electric railway vehicles having twoindependent laterally extended and independently yielding contactsurfaces, and a third intermediate yielding contact surface, eachsurface adapted to a line conductor.

16. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, having twoindependent laterally extended non-rotating and yielding contactsurfaces, an d a third intermediate yielding roller contact surface;each surface adapted to a line conductor.

17. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, having two laterallyextended contact surfaces and an intermediate revoluble and laterallymovable contact surface, each surface adapted to a line conductor.

18. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar, two laterally extended contact surfaces and anintermediate revoluble contact surface held thereto, and a supportyieldingly connecting said transverse bar to a car or vehicle.

11). A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar and two laterally extended contact surfaces and an 111-termediate revoluble and yielding contact surface held thereto, and asupport yieldin gly connecting said transverse bar to a car or vehicle.

90. A contact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar and two laterallyextended contact surfaces and anintermediate revoluble and laterally movable and yielding contactsurface held thereto, and a support yieldingly connecting saidtransverse bar to a car or vehicle.

21. A contact device forelectric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar, two laterally extended cont-act surfaces each having astar wheel at its inner end, and an. intermediate revoluble contactsurface, held to said transverse bar, and a support yielding] yconnecting said bar to a car or vehicle.

22. Acontact device for electric railway vehicles, comprising atransverse bar and two laterally extended contact surfaces and anintermediate revoluble contact surface held thereto, a support held atone end to said transverse bar by a longitudinal pivotal connection, atransversely ranging rocking bearin g on the car or vehicle and to whichbcarin g the other end of said support is coupled by a longitudinalpivotal connection, and means yieldingly holding the support andtransverse bar in position to retain the three contact surfaces inoperative relation to correspomling line conductors.

The combination, in a contact device for electric railway vehicles, of atransverse rock-shaft 3, stay bearings o fixed thereto and having forkedouter ends 6, bars 4, pi voted at 5 in the parts (i and provided withbearings 11, tie bars 10 adapted to the parts 6, 11, springs 12connecting the tie bars, arms 14:, fixed to the shaft 3, springs 15holding the shaft and connected parts in normal. position, a transversebar 7 having insulation 7 a and pivoted at 9 to the outer ends of thebars 4, and one or more contact surfaces held to said bar 7 and adaptedto line conductors.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

(JONSTANTIN ALEXAXDER PIII'LIPSBORN.

Witnesses:

GUsrAv STENZEL, MAX WAGNER.

